SAVE THE COLOUR AND HELP REBUILD HOMES FOR THE BIRDS AT THE ORIGAMI VILLAGE THIS JUNE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

SINGAPORE, 16 June 2011 – The Penguin Coast outdoor exhibit at the world’s largest bird paradise has been transformed into a first-of-its-kind origami wonderland this June holidays. ‘Save the Colour,’ an ongoing weekend event at Jurong Bird Park, allows visitors to step into the ‘Origami Village’ and help rebuild the habitats of the birds by folding origami items like cranes, ‘ice blocks’, fishes, flowers and colourful handicraft butterflies, and re-populating them back to their landscapes, each with their own conservation themes.

With each hands-on activity, kids learn about the symbolism of what they create. Through folding origami ice-blocks and adding them back to Antarctica, children learn about global warming and the melting of ice-caps. By placing folded fishes back to the “rivers” and planting folded flowers back to the ‘garden,’ they learn about the negative effects of over-fishing and deforestation. Through the act of adding their handicraft butterflies back into the ‘garden’, kids learn the importance of butterflies to a balanced ecosystem and are taught not to disturb the butterflies if they see them in gardens.

Kids can also ‘adopt a bird’ by folding a paper crane and making a contribution to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund. They are encouraged to attach a personal pledge to save the birds on their folded crane and thereafter, hang it on the ‘trees’ in the ‘garden.’ The young conservationists can also spread the conservation message by sending free pre-paid postcards to their family and friends at the village’s ‘Post Office.’ To add to the fun, kids can also celebrate the beautiful colours of the birds by getting free bird face-paintings and air-brush bird tattoos in the Origami Village.

‘Save the Colour” is a hands-on and colourful way in which the whole family can participate and learn more about avian conservation and the various elements that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Activities will take place every June weekend from 10am to 4pm. Event participation is free, but normal park admission charges apply.

Kids learning how to fold their origamiA young conservationist intent on adding colours to his butterflyGarden in bloom - Visitors planting folded flowers in the Garden Habitat.

JURONG BIRD PARK BECOMES AN ORIGAMI WONDERLAND THIS JUNE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Singapore, 24 May, 2011 – Jurong Bird Park will be aflutter with activity this June as our feathered friends and their origami counterparts bring to life a first-of-its-kind paper wonderland.

The event, titled “Save the Colour,‟ is a hands-on way in which the whole family can learn about avian conservation and the various elements that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Most of the Penguin Coast area will be turned into an “Origami Village‟ and visitors will be asked to help rebuild the village and habitats of the birds, who represent the colours of our world. With the combined efforts of many participants throughout the weekends of June, the village will become “populated‟ with origami items which symbolise avian habitats, and kids also learn that everyone can make a difference to saving the colours of our world.

The three habitats represented in the village will each have a different conservation theme. For example, at Antarctica, the aquatic and the tropical garden landscape, kids will learn to fold origami items like “ice blocks‟, fishes and flowers to highlight the dangers of global warming and deforestation.

Kids can also “adopt a bird” by making a contribution to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund (WRSCF) and learn how to fold an origami crane which symbolises the bird that they have saved. They can then show their commitment to the cause by attaching a personal pledge to each crane they place on the trees in the garden habitat.

Kids can also help to spread the message about “Saving the Colour‟ by sending their friends free postcards. The postcards will be mailed for free to their friends and is limited to local addresses only.

For a little more fun, kids can also experience and celebrate the vibrance of our feathered friends by getting free colourful air-brushed bird tattoos and face painting makeover at our Origami Village.

Annual Camps
Jurong Bird Park’s annual 2-Day Bird Quest Camp and Sleep with the Penguins Camp will also be part of the exciting activities lined-up this June holidays. The 2-day Bird Quest Camp is an exciting adventure that allows kids to get up-close with raptors, and some may even get to handle a bird of prey! Behind the scenes tours are also scheduled, and there will be lots of hands-on activities and feeding sessions with birds. It includes a tour around the Bird Discovery Centre where they will come face to face with the world’s largest egg, and learn more about how birds fly. Families get to spend quality time with our feathered friends during the Sleep with the Penguins Camp. Camp participants will also meet Pinky, the park’s star Humboldt penguin, get a chance to get behind the scenes and separately, feed some feathered friends!